WE’RE glad to hear from The Jazz Society of the Philippines, USA that a Filipino-American, Jon Irabagon, has just won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition.

Jon, said to be the first Filipino to win this competition that is ranked no. 1 in the world in terms of prestige, won a $20,000 scholarship and a record contract with Concord Music Group, one of the leading jazz labels in the US.

Raised in Chicago, Jon has been playing the saxophone since he was eight years old. He cinched his historic victory at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. We can’t wait to watch the new FilAm pride — he will perform at the 4th Annual Filipino-American Jazz Festival at the Catalina Bar & Grill, also in Hollywood, on December 27.

At the rate we’ve been getting text messages that Brillante “Dante” Mendoza won this or that award in an international film festival, he’s probably the Filipino director with the most number of wins in these events held all over the world. Is anybody making a tally?

We have become almost blasé to hear that Dante has won in yet another film fest. The prolific filmmaker’s latest triumph is at the 6th Vladivostok International Film Festival of Asian Pacific Countries where he won the Best Director award while his lead, Gina Pareño, earned the Best Actress honors for “Serbis.” Dante’s victories are raising awareness in the international film community of the Philippines’ vibrant indie movie scene.

(Photo: One more addition to his growing trophy collection: a triumphant Brillante “Dante” Mendoza (center) in Vladivostok, Russia.)

The Philippines’ “Melancholia” directed by Lav Diaz won the Orizzonti prize for feature film in the Venice Film Festival.

Last year, Diaz won the Special Mention in the Orizzonti for his documentary “Encantos.”Melancholia,” according to Diaz, is an 8 plus hour meditation on love, life and suffering. It was shot in various locations around the Philippine countryside.

GUESS we won’t have to haul the tux from our baul.

Instead of the usual glitzy, star-studded Golden Globe Awards dinner show, we will announce the winners in a press conference that will still be telecast by NBC.

The following press release was issued by our press group:

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) today announced that the recipients of Golden Globe Awards in 25 categories will be revealed during an hour-long HFPA press conference at The Beverly Hilton to be covered live by NBC News beginning at 6:00 pm PST on Jan. 13. “The 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards” NBC telecast and champagne dinner in The Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom is officially cancelled.

“We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007’s outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television,” said Jorge Camara, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. “We take some comfort, however, in knowing that this year’s Golden Globe Award recipients will be announced on the date originally scheduled.”

FILIPINO communities in various parts of the world, especially in the US, love to give awards to each other in addition to staging dinner dances that also feature the search for Miss Mankitkitao of Los Angeles or Mrs. Mabalahibo of San Francisco.

We are guilty of these maladies, “beauty pageant-it is” and “award-itis.” On virtually any weekend, a Filipino community somewhere in America is honoring, for example, the most outstanding Filipino-American water filter salesman of the year or Mr. Door-to-Door Cargo.

I have attended an event where folks gave each other awards. These people basically took turns standing up and presenting each other with a plaque until everyone had one. I did not know whether to laugh or to cry about the absurdity of the situation.

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